Solar power in Alaska has been primarily used in remote locations,[1] such as the Nenana Teen Center[2] near Fairbanks, where long summer days provide most of the electricity generated.[3][4] In 2015, Alaska ranked 45th in installed solar among U.S. states.[5] Rooftop solar panels could provide 23% of all electricity used in Alaska.[6]Net metering is available for PV systems up to 25 kW but is limited to 1.5% of average demand.[7]IREC best practices, based on experience, recommends no limits to net metering, individual or aggregate, and perpetual roll over of kWh credits.[8]
In 2011, Alaska's largest solar array was the 17.28 kW array installed on a building in Anchorage.[9][10] A 12 kW solar array installed in Lime Village in July 2001 helped reduce electricity costs.[11][12]
Annual insolation and thus power production per capacity installed in Alaska is similar to central Europe, where Germany became a leader in worldwide solar power use in the years around 2010.
The Houston Solar Farm in Matanuska-Susitna Borough is the state's largest solar facility, at 8.5 MW, built in 2023.[13][14] The project is designed with steeply angled and elevated bifacial panels and wide spacing between rows to accommodate snow removal and shade reduction. The project will be used for agrivoltaics research.[15]
The Puppy Dog Lake Project in Nikiski, on the Kenai Peninsula, is planned to be 30 MW.[16]
^Sherwood, Larry (August 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011"(PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Archived from the original(PDF) on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
^Sherwood, Larry (June 2011). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010"(PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2011-06-29.
^Sherwood, Larry (July 2009). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008"(PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
^Sherwood, Larry (July 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012"(PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
